Former Shows & Episodes

Family Connections

Susan Kane-Ronning

Trying to get kids to eat colorful and nutritious food is easy, with Karen Leonetti’s help. The author of The Yummy Tummy Rainbow Garden, Karen has clever ways to engage kids with growing fruits and vegetables, and even solicit their help with food and snack preparation! Karen’s book contains recipes and colorful pictures, perfect for ages three through ten. Parents can read to their children and plant seeds that will reinforce kids’ desire to learn about gardens and wholesome nutrition for years to come. At a time when obesity, diabetes, and other nutrition-related health issues in children ire becoming an epidemic, this episode of Family Connections is full of great information!

Laura Berger and Glen Tibaldeo join Family Connections to describe how to create passion when you find yourself in a rut. The authors of Radical Sabbatical, they found themselves on a corporate hamster wheel and chose to uproot their lives and move to the jungle in Costa Rica with their two cats. They’ll describe how this trip led to other adventures and changed their perspective and lives. Glen and Laura also offer suggestions for others to rediscover and reinvent themselves when they’re feeling life has gotten off-track

Dr. Susan Porter joins Family Connections for a stimulating discussion about the negative labels of bullying. Author of The Bully Nation: Why America’s Approach to Childhood Aggression is Bad for Everyone, Dr. Porter challenges our use of ‘bully’ language, including the ‘bully’, ‘victim’, and ‘bystander’. Dr. Porter explains why these terms, and antii-bullying legislation harm children’s ability to develop better communication, problem-solving, and social skills. Dr. Porter believes the zero tolerance anti-bullying legislation is a punitive and fixed mindset that unfairly labels children, is often developmentally insensitive, and doesn’t respond realistically to childhood social problems. This episode of Family Connections is compelling and timely, since October is National Bullying Prevention Month, and it causes us to ponder whether our current mindset is actually helping kids.

Bridget Swinney, registered dietitian, joins Family Connections to talk about how to prepare for baby’s arrival even before conception! The author of Eating Expectantly, Bridget is a wealth of knowledge regarding foods to include and foods to avoid. She’ll explain why it’s so important for both men and women to eat well before planning a pregnancy, and how to select healthy food. If you’re needing advice regarding how much weight gain is ideal, whether to buy organic, and what safe cleaning products will protect your food, this episode of Family Connections will be sure to impress!

Lysa Parker joins Family Connections for a special discussion about using attachment parenting to increase children’s ability to be sensitive, compassionate and conscious children. Lysa and Barbara Nicholson are co-authors of Attached At The Heart, and the founders of Attachment Parenting International. They do a superb job of describing the importance of attachment parenting, and the ways it helps children become empathic and compassionate at a time when it is so needed in our society and on the planet. We’ll discuss the myths of attachment parenting, and how to increase bonding while you’re pregnant, whether you’ve decided to breast or bottle feed. New or veteran moms will enjoy this segment of Family Connections…it will support your basic instinct to parent, and give you validation for parenting with love and compassion.

Dr. John Mayer, expert on families and healthy lifestyles, provides us with shocking information about sleep deprivation and chronic insomnia in school-age children and college students. The author of “Family Fit: Find Your Balance”, Dr. Mayer discusses the strain lack of sleep puts on students, regardless of age. It’s especially hard after long summer months of sleeping in and getting more rest. Dr. Mayer will address how to transition kids to their new schedules, how to set reasonable limits regarding electronics, bedtimes, and how to create healthy sleep behaviors. Students are more sleep-deprived than once thought, and you’ll want to listen to this episode of Family Connections to help your child get more longer and more restful sleep!

Dr. Philip Cicero is a former school superintendent and the author of The Seven Deadly Sins of the K-12 Education System: Costly and Ineffective Programs and Strategies. Dr. Cicero joins Family Connections in a stimulating discussion regarding class size, homework, No Child Left Behind, and high stakes testing. He’ll also talk about teacher training and making sure teachers are getting the appropriate support and skills to be effective educators. You’ll learn about teacher evaluation and whether it’s fair or valid. Our education system has limited economic resources, so the right steps need to be taken to make student achievement happen. The media portrays the US education system as abysmal when compared to other countries, but we may not get the whole picture. Listen to this week’s episode of Family Connections and hear what Dr. Cicero has to say!

If you are wondering how to improve your relationship with your mother-in-law or daughter-in-law, this show is for you! Dr. Deanna Brann, leading author and psychotherapist, and expert in daughter-in-law and mother-in-law relationships, shows how to improve and deepen in-law relationships. Both mothers and wives love their sons and husbands, but may feel entangled with each other. Sometimes conflict impacts family dynamics, creating lasting wounds and hurts. Territorial disputes over children can deepen tensions, making family dinners and holidays stressful. If you’re the mom of a married daughter, you’re not off the hook either! Mother/daughter relationshps can push the mother-in-law out of the picture and cause resentments. Dr. Brann, is nationally recognized for helping women who struggle in these relationships learn how to change them. You too can find peace and comfort!

Having a baby is an exciting time! However, relationships often experience distress in the first six to nine months after the baby’s birth. Dr. Kristen Mickelson describes the common problems couples experience shortly after a baby’s birth. She’ll describe the differences between equality and equity, differences in expectations between partners, and what new parents usually fight about. Dr. Mickelson will also discuss parenthood transitions and how to move through them smoothly. She’s also full of interesting information…did you know postpartum depression occurs with both moms and dads? And both genders experience problems with postpartum body image!

Buck Runyon, clinical director and chief operations officer for the Center for Discovery Treatment Centers for Eating Disorders, joins Family Connections to discuss the different types of eating disorders, including obesity and binge eating. Buck sheds light on how eating disorders begin, and how to know identify problematic behavior. He describes the inner world of individuals with eating disorders with sensitivity and wisdom that demonstrate his years of working in the trenches as a veteran clinician and eating disorders specialist. Buck describes how to help those you love and worry about, and the various treatment options. As a nation obsessed with weight and appearance, this show is both entertaining and informative!

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